
While I’d like to say this analysis will cover all the details regarding the chaos at the border, I can’t. It’s impossible to cover everything that we know so far about migrant kids, being held in U.S. custody at our Southern Border.
However, I’m going to attempt something new, a bit of opinion, a bit of news, and a timeline of what has happened so far in what we learned last week, are the poor conditions children as young as 2 face while in Border Patrol Custody under the Trump administration policies. Such as they are.
Last week, as the News Blender and Snip Bytes both reported, Department of Justice lawyer Sarah Fabian, argued before the 9th circuit panel that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) did not need to give children in their custody soap, toothbrushes, or safe sleeping conditions to meet the “safe and sanitary,” conditions clause of the Flores Agreement.
Her reasoning was that the Flores Agreement did not enumerate what “safe and sanitary” meant.
Moving on.
That was Tuesday as Courthouse News reported.
AP News on Thursday reported that according to attorney’s that visited a Border Patrol Station in Texas that, “A traumatic and dangerous situation is unfolding for some 250 infants, children and teens locked up for up to 27 days without adequate food, water and sanitation.”
The Clint facility is located about 25 miles southeast of El Paso, Texas, the lawyers were given access, because, “they are involved in a legal settlement known as the Flores agreement that governs detention conditions for migrant children and families. The lawyers negotiated access to the facility with officials, and say Border Patrol knew the dates of their visit three weeks in advance.”
According to what they saw, the kids they spoke to told them, “that they were fed uncooked frozen food or rice and had gone weeks without bathing or a clean change of clothes.”
On Friday, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-TX) reached out to Acting CBP Commissioner John Sanders, and CBP Chief Carla Provost to ask about reports of the conditions of the Clint facility, which as CNN reports is not a stand-alone facility facing charges of neglecting migrant children.
Attorney Toby Gialluca told CNN, that “virtually everyone we saw,” at the Ursula Processing Center in McAllen, Texas, “was ill,” she described the conditions as “a pervasive health crisis.”
Attorney Warren Binford told CNN via tweeted video clip, that what they saw were inhumane conditions.
“The children were dirty, they were sad, many of them were sick. We found out there was an influenza outbreak there, children…sleeping on concrete floors.”
— CNN (@CNN) June 21, 2019
Warren Binford describes the inhumane conditions she saw at her visit to a TX detention facility. https://t.co/LUhlCYR7f5 pic.twitter.com/913rGDlNnU
In a statement via CNN on Friday, CBP told them, “All allegations of civil rights abuses or mistreatment in CBP detention are taken seriously and investigated to the fullest extent possible.”
On Saturday, Vox’s Aaron Rupar posted a clip from Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade, that in part says, “treat them with compassion,” but it’s not like this is happening to kids from “Idaho, or Texas.”
Right, as along as this doesn’t happen to “American Kids,” no problem. As a reminder President Trump is a fan of Fox & Friends, and often calls in to their program or tweets quotes from their program.
.@kilmeade on children who have been split from their parents as a result of Trump administration policy: “Like it or not, these are not our kids. Show them compassion, but it’s not like he’s doing this to the people of Idaho or Texas. These are people from another country.” pic.twitter.com/s24zwyDfNc
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 22, 2018
When Rep. Escobar reached out to CBP officials, she was told as Snip Bytes reported on Monday, that both Provost and Sanders were unaware of the conditions, and that an investigation has been launched into the matter.
She noted via her Twitter account that her office was told on Monday that only 30 children remained at the Clint facility.
This morning, my office was informed that only 30 children remain in the Clint Border Patrol station in El Paso County.
— Rep. Veronica Escobar (@RepEscobar) June 24, 2019
Last week, @hrw lawyers found 255 children in beyond alarming conditions in the same station. pic.twitter.com/tmBC3M0aqP
She has also given officials until June 28th, to respond in writing to her listed questions she sent them on Friday.
Chris Hayes talked to GOP Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) about reported deplorable conditions for children in migrant detention camps.
According Burgess, he has not seen the conditions, as recently as 3 weeks ago, with a planned trip for Friday to revisit McAllen, Texas, holding facility, that have been reported.
He expands, that he has not visited the Clint facility, but he believes the “hatred of this President,” can lead to hyperbole.
He adds, in the 9 minute clip, that “there is not a lock on the door, any child is free to leave at anytime,” he continues, “but they don’t. You know why? Because they are well taken care of.” (around the 4:46 minute mark for the quoted comments)
On Tuesday MSNBC reported that of those children Escobar was told were moved, 100 hundred have been moved back to the Clint facility.
About 100 children have been moved back to the Clint, Texas facility from which 300 children were removed after they lived for weeks without access to soap, clean clothes, or sufficient food, according to a CBP official. – @gabegutierrez pic.twitter.com/ix08jV3gEx
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 25, 2019
Also on Tuesday Acting ICE Director Mark Morgan told Fox & Friends holding facilities “are like police stations.” That comes after he begs Congress for more funding. Typical really.
This Mark Morgan guy seems like a real prize.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 25, 2019
After yelling about Pelosi, he says of child detention camps, “it’s like a police station … it’s not the Hyatt.” pic.twitter.com/a0H21u5wGm
Also on Tuesday the Washington Post reported that Acting CBP Commissioner John Sanders intends to resign the post, next month according to “Department of Homeland Security officials and a message sent to CBP staff Tuesday.”
As the article notes, his resignation comes after only two-months on the job, following the resignation of Department of Homeland Security Director Kirstjen Nielsen, who was replaced by CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan.
Here is Acting CBP Commissioner Sanders letter to employees, obtained by @geneva_sands & @priscialva : pic.twitter.com/QPCe0P0XF2
— Dianne Gallagher (@DianneG) June 25, 2019
I have to figure more will be reported on the migrant children being held in the coming days and weeks.
As an aside, Morgan in his interview also blasted “leaks” regarding a planned ICE raid to deport illegal entry aliens, that had deportation orders.
Absolutely beyond parody — on Fox & Friends, Acting ICE Director Mark Morgan says leaks about the deportation raids ICE is planning are “egregious” and put “the lives of agents and officers” at risk.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 25, 2019
Trump leaked news of the forthcoming raids on Twitter! pic.twitter.com/x2wikXgvPk
Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States. They will be removed as fast as they come in. Mexico, using their strong immigration laws, is doing a very good job of stopping people…….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2019
….long before they get to our Southern Border. Guatemala is getting ready to sign a Safe-Third Agreement. The only ones who won’t do anything are the Democrats in Congress. They must vote to get rid of the loopholes, and fix asylum! If so, Border Crisis will end quickly!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2019
Awkward….